Damage from Tropical Storm Debby Leads to Power Outages in Orange, Durham and Chatham Counties

Posted by Brighton McConnell | Aug 8, 2024 | Safety, Traffic, Weather

As Tropic Storm Debby brought heavy rainfall, flash flooding and high winds to central North Carolina on Thursday, several communities in Orange, Chatham and Durham Counties reported losing power.

The storm system, which is expected to continue through the state until mid- to late Friday, caused damage to Duke Energy equipment in several places according to the utility giant. Below is a list of various local outages reported as a result of the inclement weather. A full list of ongoing outages can be found on Duke Energy’s Outage Map.

If you’re experiencing an outage, Duke Energy customers can report it by filling out the online form, using the Duke Energy App, texting “OUT” to 57801, or calling 800-543-5599. If you see a downed tree or power lines, call 911.

If you experience a flashing, red traffic signal with no power, state law requires drivers to treat intersections like a four-way stop.

UNC Campus (East) and Raleigh Road

A series of outages for more than 500 Duke energy customers in Chapel Hill neighborhoods along Fordham Boulevard, Raleigh Road, and East Franklin Street near UNC campus were reported early Thursday morning. The first came through at 6:25 a.m., with Duke Energy reporting it was caused by fallen trees or limbs damaging their equipment. As of 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, the estimated time of restoration is around 6 p.m.

Due to the outages, the Town of Chapel Hill said there are several high traffic intersections that have no working signals early on Thursday.

Fordham Boulevard and Raleigh Road
Raleigh Road and Country Club Road
Country Club Road and Gimghoul Road

Umstead Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard

More than 700 Chapel Hill residents and Duke Energy customers in neighborhoods off Umstead Drive lost power shortly after 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. Duke Energy says, as of 10:45 a.m., crews are assessing the damage and no cause of the outage has been publicly shared yet. As of 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, the utility company estimated power would be restored to the neighborhood around 8 p.m.

Old Greensboro Road and Jones Ferry Road

In Carrboro, several neighborhoods along Old Greensboro Road and Jones Ferry Road reported outages starting around 5:30 a.m. and 6:20 a.m. respectively on Thursday. Duke Energy did not list the cause of the outage, but details fallen trees and storm damage in the area was shared by community members with Chapelboro. As of Thursday at 10:45 a.m., the neighborhoods do not have an estimated time of restoration.

Fordham Boulevard

During a later storm, more than 1,600 Duke Energy customers lost power around 4:40 p.m. The utility giant reported the outage affected residents from as far north as neighborhoods near the Fordham Boulevard and East Franklin Street split to as far south as the Raleigh Road shopping centers. The outage overlapped with one covering neighborhoods east of Fordham Boulevard reported early on Thursday morning.

By 6 p.m., most Duke Energy customers who lost power in the 4 p.m. hour had their electricity restored — while the handful who lost power early Thursday morning were still awaiting their own repairs and restoration.

Chatham County

A wide swath of Duke Energy customers in Siler City lost power overnight on Thursday, but Duke Energy restored their service around 10:30 a.m. Still, several outages for thousands of customers continued in the Pittsboro part of the county. Hundreds of those were in neighborhoods along U.S. 64, the Haw River, and parts of Jordan Lake reported between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., which was caused by fallen trees and storm debris. Additional residents west of downtown and along U.S. 64 reported outages starting around 8:15 a.m. Many of the outages were repaired and power restored by 6 p.m. on Thursday.

One Pittsboro not yet repaired as of 6 p.m. affected the town’s water plant along 15-501, according to an alert by the TriRiver Water system. Pittsboro residents were asked to conserve their water use until full power to the plant is restored. Updates will be shared here.

Meadowmont and Farrington Mill Road (RESOLVED)

About 3,800 Chapel Hill and Durham customers lost power around 12:50 p.m. according to Duke Energy. Among the affected neighborhoods were Meadowmont, Farrington Mill Road and the Falconbridge community — as well as much of Highway 54. For hours, traffic signals along the highway and surrounding areas were down, until the Town of Chapel Hill used generators to restore the signals. Full power was returned in the 5 p.m. hour, according to Duke Energy.

U.S. 70 Corridor and Erwin/Mt. Sinai Roads in Orange and Durham County (RESOLVED)

Close to 3,000 Duke Energy customers along the U.S. 70 corridor, University Station Road, and West Cornwallis Road in Durham County reported outages. Most of those who lost power first reported it at 5:42 a.m., while another batch lost their energy around 8:40 a.m. on Thursday. Then around 11:15 a.m., thousands more customers along Erwin Road and Mt. Sinai Road in both Orange and Durham County experienced an outage.

Duke Energy said most of the outages in neighborhoods along U.S. 70 were caused by damaged equipment from trees and fallen debris, and power is expected to be restored around 12 p.m. on Thursday. The outage affecting neighborhoods along Erwin Road and Mt. Sinai Road is predicted to be fixed by 8 p.m.

Featured photo and Outage Map photos via Duke Energy.

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Damage from Tropical Storm Debby Leads to Power Outages in Orange, Durham and Chatham Counties - Chapelboro.com (2024)